BREAKING: SBI agents arrest man in burned body investigation

LEVEL PLAINS, — On Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the ALEA State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) responded to a death investigation on State Highway 167 in Hartford, at the request of Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms.

At approximately 5:00 p.m., Hartford Police and Geneva County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a citizen’s complaint of a burned vehicle on Alabama Highway 167 near the Choctawhatchee River. When officers arrived, they found a vehicle burned beyond recognition along with human remains.

SBI Agents arrived and processed evidence at the scene while working with local law enforcement to conduct numerous search warrants and interviews. The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences conducted an autopsy on the deceased, whose identity has yet to be confirmed.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2019, Chad Dewayne Brogdon, 36 years old, of Level Plains, was identified as a person of interest. Brogdon was located by a Geneva County Deputy and taken to the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office for questioning.

On Thursday, May 16, 2019, SBI Agents obtained arrest warrants for Brogdon, who is charged with Murder and Abuse of a Corpse. SBI Agents arrested Brogdon, placing him in the Dale County Jail with no bond.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

GENEVA COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — Multiple agencies are still trying to find answers to what caused a vehicle to catch on fire with someone in it under the bridge where the Choctawhatchee River is located in Geneva County.

People were fishing on the Choctawhatchee River and noticed something strange.

Agencies were on the scene till 1 a.m. Wednesday after a call was made to the Geneva County Sheriff Office at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. According to Geneva County Sheriff Tony Helms, foul play could be likely. However, finding out who owns the vehicle is the first step.

“Once we can determine a 100 percent sure who the vehicle is registered to and the registered owner of the vehicle then we can start backtracking that person. Anytime you have a fire and a bunch of the evidence burns up in the fire, it puts us in a hard spot to start with.”

Helms told WDHN the cause of the fire is unknown. With the fire, it’s hard to determine the make of the car. However, Sheriff Helms believes that the car was a foreign vehicle.

“Everything on a car now days is made of aluminum composite,” Helms said. “The VIN plates are made of aluminum and that makes it a little harder. There are other places we can get the VIN, but it takes us a little time to be able to find and verify.”

The State Bureau Investigation is now leading the investigation in this case.

Correction: The graphic with Brogdon’s name has been corrected to show the correct spelling.

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